We were beyond thrilled last year when the Americana-loving people at SONGS & WHISPERS accepted our application to perform on a month-long tour circuit, covering all of Germany and possibly parts beyond. There was much squawking, much hopping, even some flapping and fluttering.

Once the feather-dust settled, so did the realization of how big an undertaking this will be for us. We’re an independent, unsigned band, fueled solely by playing live music and sharing our recorded work. We’re gobsmacked daily with gratitude that the band gets by in doing what we love the very most. Now we have the opportunity to take Passerine to the next level, but we’re going to need some help.

This tour is the biggest thing we’ve ever done, and that’s with three albums and five U.S. tours on the books. Our fans did some heroic work helping us fund a couple of those first major endeavors, and now we’re coming to you again to ask: Will you participate in making a European tour happen for Passerine?

Within the next couple of weeks, we will launch our most prodigious crowdfunding campaign to date. David and Sara crunched the numbers earlier this month, and determined we’ll need a grand total of $17,000 to fund the trip. This includes airfare for four, tour vehicle rental, fuel, and grubs for hungry beaks. (And have you seen these birds eat?? Holy moly!)

We’re planning all kinds of awesome rewards for fans who donate. Get a load of these perks:

Asking our nears and dears to plunk down their hard-earned cash so we can take a big trip to Europe–it’s a tough thing, on both ends. We feel it. So in closing, we want to reiterate that this tour is the biggest thing we’ve ever done. Not just in terms of scale or budget, but in terms of what it means for Passerine’s future. By touring Germany, we’re able to open doors and make valuable connections abroad, explore a totally untapped market for our music, and add tremendous weight to our domestic clout. That last bit translates to more opportunities for us to travel in the States, get accepted to festivals and high-profile venues–heck, we might even get to quit our day jobs!

In short, this isn’t just some excursion we’re taking for grins (although we anticipate them in heaps). This tour means the next giant leap in the band’s career, which, over the last couple of years, has trended up and to the right with galvanizing momentum. Thanks to everyone’s enthusiasm and support for our music, Passerine’s drive is more fervent than ever. There’s a tempest beneath these wings, and with your help, we’ll ride it into all-new territory.

[Coming up next on the Passerine Blog: How to contribute to our Euro-tour campaign!]